Court fixes Feb 19 to hear Fubara’s chief of staff’s motion

A Federal High Court in Abuja has set Monday for the hearing of motions on notice filed by Edison Ehie, the Chief of Staff (CoS) to Gov. Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers, seeking an order vacating its earlier arrest warrant order against him and others.

Justice Emeka Nwite fixed the date after counsel for Ehie and five others, Femi Falana, SAN, and Oluwole Aladedoye, SAN, filed separate applications to the effect.

While Falana filed a motion seeking an order to set aside the January 31 order made by Justice Nwite, Aladedoye filed an application for a stay of execution of the arrest order.

The judge had, on January 31, issued a warrant for the arrest of Mr Ehie over his alleged involvement in the burning of part of the state’s House of Assembly on October 29, 2023.

Nwite, who gave the order while delivering a ruling in an ex-parte application brought by counsel for Inspector-General of Police, Simon Lough, also ordered the arrest of five other accomplices.

Those ordered to be arrested along with Ehie are Jinjiri Bala, Happy Benneth, Progress Joseph, Adokiye Oyagiri and Chibuike Peter, also known as Rambo.

The court granted the ex-parte application as canvassed by Lough on the grounds that the six defendants had been at large to stand their trial in a seven-count preferred against five other suspected arsonists currently being prosecuted before a sister court.

The I-G had, in a charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/25/2024, arraigned Chime Eguma Ezebalike, 37; Prince Lukman Oladele, 47; Kenneth Goodluck Kpasa, 40; Osiga Donald, 42; and Ochueja Thankgod , 35, before a sister court presided over by Justice Bolaji Olajuwon on January 25 in Abuja.

They, however, pleaded not guilty to the counts and were remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre.

The I-G, who arraigned them on a seven-count criminal charge bordering on terrorism and murder, declared Ehie and five others, said to be at large, wanted.